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Monday, October 31, 2011

The announcement of the winners for the World Beer Awards 2011, the global awards selecting the very best internationally recognised beer styles from around the world.

Judging is blind with regional style heats held in Europe, the USA and Asia under the careful eye of a regional Chairman.

They select the style winner in each region, which is then tasted against the other regional winners to select the World’ss Best Style.

From these world winners judges can then select the World’s Best Ale, Lager, Stout & Porter and Wheat Beer. The pages of this year’s World Beer Awards guide identify winners by style and by category, we hope you enjoy this year’s findings and the fantastic range of beers they represent.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Join Black Oak Brewing Co. in celebrating their 11th year of brewing quality craft beer with a special anniversary party at the brewery on November 11, 2011.

"It seems like only yesterday we celebrated our 10th Birthday over a glass of 10 Bitter Years. And now we are proudly celebrating 11 years of growth and success with lots of exciting new developments.

These days, we’ve got lots to be bitter-less about. Our Nut Brown and Pale Ale sales have increased from 45 to 130 thanks to the work of North American Craft, an independent sales company that represents craft brewers at the LCBO. Our Beer Store and pub sales continue to climb and Torontonians are making the trek out to Etobicoke to buy our seasonal beers from the brewery’s retail store, some even staying for a tour while sipping Oaktoberfest, Nutcracker Porter or Double Chocolate Cherry Stout.

This year we also saw Simon DaCosta step up as Black Oak’s head brewer. We’re very pleased to have Simon, who attended Harriot Watt University in Scottland, on board. Simon is supported by Jonathan Hodd, who also brews with Ralph Morana at Bar Volo’s House Ales."

Jorg Gutziet, a Toronto native, brings a cheerful sense of humor to Black Oak’s GTA deliveries, which have picked up steadily in recent months.

And finally in September Tracy Phillippi joined thier team, and has been ramping up thier distribution and web presence, as well as organizing upcoming events and parties.

As beer expert Troy Burtch put it in the Winter 2009 issue of TAPS Magazine, our President Ken Woods’ “dedication and persistence has built the Black Oak name into a very respected and reputable brewery that isn’t afraid to brew up a batch of beer for the beer geeks, while still wining over new beer drinkers with their Pale Ale” – A batch of beer that has given us our reputation of being Ontario’s most consistent brewery.

Join the countless Black Oak Beer Nuts on Friday November 11th (that’s right 11/11/11) from 6 to 10 pm to celebrate their 11th Bitter Year.

For $20.00 per person, Black Oak Brewery will be transformed into a craft beer drinker’s paradise, with special one-off casks and kegs you’ve never seen before. The admission fee covers all your beer and food, plus live jazz and Motown music by Toronto’s Brown Sabbath.

So, put 11/11/11 in your beer drinkin’ calendar and come drink good beer, where good beer is made.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Two brewers who have been critical in the success of the Bend, Oregon brewery step into new, expanded roles

Deschutes Brewery has promoted Cam O’Connor and Brian Faivre to two newly formed brewmaster positions. The two, who have been instrumental in the development of such game-changing brews as Hop in the Dark, Red Chair NWPA, Gluten Free Ale, the soon to be released Chainbreaker White IPA, and others, were chosen for their abilities to both innovate and lead. “Pushing boundaries and experimenting with new beers is what defines us as a company,” said Gary Fish, president and founder of Deschutes Brewery. “Brian and Cam have been instrumental in creating many of the new beers that have been brought to our fans over the last few years. The fact that we were able to promote from within the brewing department is a testament to the strong team of brewers we have here at Deschutes, and we are looking forward to seeing their creativity continue in their expanded roles as brewmasters.”

Cam (pictured below in the brewhouse) was the first brewer at the Portland pub when it opened in 2009, has been responsible for crafting many of the exclusive experimental beers served there. He has also worked on labors of love like Hop in the Dark, which wasn’t released formally until it had gone through 22 rounds of tinkering. He joined the company in 2004 after spending a couple of years with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Cam holds a bachelor of arts in biology with a minor in chemistry, and has completed the University of California Davis Master Brewer Program.Brian (pictured below with hop bales) has been with Deschutes Brewery for five years and worked in various roles in the brewing department, most recently as assistant brewmaster for production technology. With a background in computer science and software development, Brian brings this precision to the brewhouse - optimizing recipes and developing operating procedures. He holds a bachelor of science in computer science and has also completed the University of California Davis Master Brewer Program.

Both Brian and Cam have played critical roles for the past several years in the ongoing success and growth of Deschutes Brewery. In their new roles as brewmasters, they will continue to help guide the development of the company’s future.

Back in the spring I thought it would be a great idea to grow some hop plants in my back yard. I figured that the vines would not only dress up one side of the yard, but also move me towards being a more self sustaining newbie homebrewer.

For me, the first step required researching the plants them selves, best sun exposure, best varieties for a Canadian climate and just the basic how-to-grow would be important. For several weeks I researched, read, watched videos to develop my plan. Narrowing down the location, I decided that the north side of the back yard would work best, giving them full sun all afternoon. I also decided that close to the fence line would be benificial to make sure plenty of water was to be had. Luckily that is where a significant amount of drainage happens on my property there.

The next steps were convincing the wife that it was a good idea, then sourcing the hops themselves. With the wife on board, finding a supplier was the next challenge. In the US, it is pretty easy to find distributors, but in Canada it was a bit more difficult. Cross border horticulture was not a challenge I wanted to take up. I managed to track down Left Field Farmsin British Columbia. Not only did they have a great selection of varieties, including organic rhizomes, but also reasonable prices and shipping within Canada. Being a little late to the season, I managed to get in on the second shipping for Left Field Farms. I ordered some Cascade as well as some Nugget rhizomes and had them express shipped in no time.

Before they arrived, I started to prepare the back yard for the planting. I dug out four 18 inch by 18 inch holes that were about 18 inches deep. I them lined the bottom of the holes with organic sheep manure , then some black earth to make for the perfect growing environment. I piled the black earth into a mound about 6 inches higher than the ground level. Upon arrival I dug about 6-8 inches down and placed the rhizomes in with the mini shoots pointing up. Then covered them with earth and watered them in.

For the next week or so, it continually rained, giving the hop plants what the needed to break ground and start growing. Within a week or two, some vines had already started to sprout. Over June and July, they had really taken off and the string I had run to the top of my fence (about 8 feet long) was no longer enough for them to trail up. So thinking ahead, I decided to have a 12 foot pergola/trellis structure built. The fine folks at Dovetail Carpentry in London took care of this without hurting the plants at all. Thanks Trevor and Mike!

The hopes continued their vertical assent, Making it over 10 feet high in their first year (apparently by year three, they can grow

20+ feet in the season). As the vines doubled up, the cones started to develop. By the end of August and into early September I was ready for the initial harvest of the hops.

For the first year, I was impressed with the yield. Having a later start (end of May) and the first year being more about root establishment, I managed to get about one and a half ounces off of the Nugget plants and two ounces off the Cascade after drying.

Currently I am getting ready to trim the vines back and winterize them to be prepared for the spring. After a little protection with some mulch, I will be set for the snow to fly and look forward for the spring to see what they do in their second year!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

As part of their "Brewmaster Series", the Fort Garry Brewing Company from Winnipeg, MB is set to release, Munich Eisbock. The forward malty sweetness from the Munich malt, has a wonderful sharp clean bitterness. A full, creamy mouth-feel, that coats the palate. A slight spicy hop character is balanced with a malty note.

This will be a limited release in 650mL bottles, coming in at 9.5% ABV and 45 IBU's.

The Fort Garry Brewmasters Series will consist of a group of limited edition, small batch beers that explore the boundaries of craft beer making.

"A beer that has a dominant malty taste. This beer’s origins in a monk’s recipe are reflected in its heartiness. The Pope of Beers, Conrad Seidl, describes it as: “Almost black with a very slight red tone, a sensational, festive foam and truly extraordinary fragrance that at first summons up visions of greaves lard. The first taste is of mild fullness with an accompanying coffee tone, which becomes more dominant with the aftertaste. There is very little of the sweetness that is frequently to be tasted with doppelbock beer.” The Ayinger Celebrator has been ranked among the best beers of the world by the Chicago Testing Institute several times and has won numerous platinum medallions."

The Pour

This beer pours a deep deep red. There was a 2 finger head that dissipated so fast I couldn't catch it with a camera.

The Aroma

The aroma is heavy on roasted malt with hints of coffee and yeast.

The Taste

This is very roasty and malty with a with a nice coffee finish. It has thick mouth feel and is full bodied, very well balanced.

Overall Impressions

My overall impressions of this beer is great. As a fan of darker beers I am always looking for something that stands apart, this did that very well. It is very well balanced with a nice roasty malty flavour. A great fall beer! I would rate this a 8.5 out of 10.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Limited edition gift box features 2 bottles of beer, ghoulish artwork, and a 7-inch record

Beau's All Natural has launched sales on a new “beer + music” series that will see new Beau’s brews or blends paired with limited edition vinyl records, and designed with unique artwork to create a true collector’s item. The first offering, called Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is available now, direct from the brewery only. Only 5,000 of these gift boxes will be sold this fall — a new version is slated to be released annually each year in time for Hallowe’en celebrations.

The package includes two 600 ml bottles of Beau’s beer created specifically for this release, and features the ghoulish work of visual artist Dirty Donny Gillies on its labels and box. An Ottawa native, Gillies' style has earned him commissions from some of music's most recognizable names including Metallica, Queens of The Stone Age, and Hellacopters. Gillies worked in tandem with Beau’s award-winning creative director Jordan Bamforth to create the special packaging for the release.

The two bottles of beer included have been dubbed Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde in honour of the Hallowe'en season release. Dr. Jekyll is a blend of Beau’s flagship beer Lug Tread and the fall seasonal Nightmarzen. The delicately malty, slightly fruity character of Lug Tread meshes with the more intensely bready, biscuity backbone of Nightmarzen while restraining some of its hoppy intensity, and a burnished gold coloured beer is the result.

A tribute to the Roggenbiers of Germany with a North American twist, Mr. Hyde is a deep copper colour, and is essentially a rye beer using predominantly German ingredients: a Roggenbier-meets-RyePA. Hopping is aggressive in the American vein, but again uses German hops to provide bitterness, flavour and aroma while the rye itself provides additional spiciness.

A coloured vinyl 33 rpm split 7-inch with 5 tracks rounds out the Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde bundle. The record features Toronto punk outfits The Flatliners and Teenage X, alternative folk/country artist Elliott Brood and Ottawa-based garage rockers White Wires. Also included is the catchy “Beau’s Jingle” performed by Chris Rayburn. The track listing is as follows:

Side Jeckyll:

Chris Rayburn - "Beau's Jingle"

The Flatliners - "Shithawks"

Teenage X - "Chelsea Horror Hotel"

Side Hyde:

Elliott Brood - "Will They Bury Us?"

White Wire - "Ha Ha Holiday"

The gift box retails for $18.85, and can be purchased from the brewery retail store while supplies last.

Wild Rose Brewery is pleased to announce the return of a seasonal favourite - Wild Rose Cherry Porter. Brewed using only the plumpest, ripest whole BC cherries, each glass of this local brew is lush and creamy with a fruity aroma. The annual holiday tradition of releasing Wild Rose Cherry Porter continues in 2011 with the official launch on October 27th.

Wild Rose Cherry Porter:Rich and sensual, the flavour of Cherry Porter is reminiscent of Black Forest cake with sweet chocolate notes and a slightly smoky character from roasted barley malts. As always, celebrate the season and enjoy a glass of Wild Rose Cherry Porter with someone special.

To celebrate the return of this brew, a special Cask Conditioned batch of the Cherry Porter will be tapped on Friday, October 28th at 4pm MST at the Wild Rose Brewery & Taproom. Crafted in limited quantities, Wild Rose Cherry Porter will be available in one litre flip-top bottles at liquor stores in Alberta, on tap at a number of select locations including The Ship and Anchor in Calgary and at Wild Rose Brewery & Taproom (403.720.2733).

After the purification and beheading took place, a victor was crowned at the Stella Artois Canadian Draught Master competition. Last night, eight Canadians across the country dueled it out for the title of Canadian Draught Master in a head-to-head style pouring competition. However, only one competitor showed the ultimate mastery of the perfectly poured chalice of Stella Artois. Clement Beauchesne from Montreal beat out seven other competitors to represent Canada at the World Draught Master competition in Buenos Aires on October 26, 2011.

I'm so thrilled to be the Stella Artois Canadian Draught Master! There were so many great competitors at the event and to be the top Canadian representing our country in Buenos Aires is a huge honour," said Beauchesne, 2011 Stella Artois Canadian Draught Master. "From the regional event in Montreal to the national competition in Toronto, this event was awesome and I look forward to taking home first place in Argentina."

Following Beauchesne, was runner-up Jim Armstrong from London, Ontario and third place winner Catherine Lavergnefrom St. Albert, Quebec.

The competition pitted eight regional draught masters from across Canada against each other in a bracket-style pour-off. Competitors received coaching prior to the competition from Chris Myers, Stella Artois 2010 World Draught Master, who was on site to provide support and advice to competitors.

"The Stella Artois Draught Master is about more than pouring a good beer. It speaks to the quality, care and craftsmanship that go into producing the perfect Stella Artois from the brewing phase, right through to the delivery of the iconic Stella Artois chalice," said Myers.

The Stella Artois Draught Master is founded on the Nine-Step Pouring Ritual - a series of nine steps, each of which serves a specific purpose in achieving a perfectly poured pint. For instance, step one - 'The Purification' - requires the chalice to be rinsed with cold water to ensure the glass reaches the same temperature as the beer. Step six - 'The Beheading' - is the step where the pourer gently cuts the head on a 45-degree angle as it flows over the edge of the glass. This eliminates the larger bubbles that burst easily and accelerate the dissipation of the head.

During the competition, each and every step of the Nine-Step Pouring Ritual was assessed on a scale of zero to 10 (perfect) to determine the picture perfect pint of Stella Artois pint at completion.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Summer beer festival season has passed and the month of November is fast approaching. With November, being the month dedicated to prostate cancer awareness,The Amsterdam Brewing Companywill host aMovember Fundraising Festival of BeeronNovember 25th, 2011 from 8pm-1amin their brewery event space at21 Bathurst St.

“We thought it would be a great idea to open up our brewery to support a great cause, raise some money and have a blast doing it. We’re planning on offering some unique one-off beer with Movember spins alongside our regular line-up of beer.” Says Amsterdam media contact Blake van Delft who is the lead organizer on this fundraising event. “We’re also opening up the festival to other breweries to make it a beer festival of sorts. We’re hoping they can commit a keg or two of their great beer in support of men’s health.” All proceeds from the evening will go tosupporting the Movember fundraising campaign.

A limited quantity of 250 tickets will be sold and will be available starting this week from the Amsterdam Retail Store at 21 Bathurst St.

"Available: September 1st - November 1st , Muskoka Harvest Ale was our brewery’s pioneering venture into seasonal beers. Now in its third year, our Harvest Ale marks the end of the growing season and the process of gathering mature crops from the fields.

Dry hopped and brewed using a selection of premium local ingredients, this ale has a rich malt backbone and a subtle grassy character reminiscent of the freshly cut harvest. It’s our way of celebrating another prosperous growing season. And we’re proud to share it with you."

The Pour

Poured for a 750mL swing top bottle, the harvest ale is full of Autumnal colour; a deep rusty, orangy brown. There is some hop or chill haze present. Plenty of carbonation and a generous three fingers of tan coloured head.

Aroma

Earth, grassy notes are present. Plenty of malt biscuitiness. Sweet tones are complimented by a slight spice. Very pleasant.

Taste

Very rich and flavourful. A very solid malt backbone is rewarded with a piney hop flavour. In the finish, there is a grassy bitterness that balances off the sweetness nicely.

Overall Impressions

This is another solid beer from Muskoka. With a clean label, great overall packaging and wonderful beer, this brewery is really coming into its own. A great example of a Harvest Ale. I love it when Fall arrives because it really seems to be the time for complex beers with big bold flavours to be released. Keep them coming! I would give this an "A".

Saturday, October 22, 2011

On Thursday, October 27th at 6:00 pm, Oakville-based Cameron’s Brewing Company will be hosting its annual Halloween-themed Cask Night. Visitors that night have the opportunity to sample a variety of one-off casks in honour of four years of Cask Nights at the brewery, including a Märzen, created by the brewmaster especially for that evening. With notes of sweet malt and a dry finish, there will be nothing scary about this brew!

Additionally, attendees of Halloween Cask Night have the chance to take part in the annual Cameron’s Costume Contest, with prizes for both best individual costume and best group costume. Best group costume will win a Cameron’s Draft Party for themselves and friends, while best individual costume will win a Cameron’s Gift Basket including beer, t-shirts and beer glasses.

Cameron’s monthly Cask Nights offer visitors and longtime fans the opportunity to tour the Oakville brewery and learn more about their award winning ales & lagers, as well as sample a delicious variety of beer brewed on the spot. Admittance is just $20 and is often sold out, so arrive early – doors open at 6:00 pm.

The brewery is located at 1165 Invicta Drive, just off of the North Service Road between 8th and 9th Line.